Bank check holder



June 3, 1969 E. B. AITKENS 3,447,677

BANK CHECK HOLDER Filed June 13, v 1967 Jim 3 :2? 71 E n/AQD B, JQ/TKf/US INVENTOR.

. fmvm United States Patent 3,447,677 BANK CHECK HOLDER Edward B. Aitkens, 750 S. Westlake Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. 90057 Filed June 13, 1967, Ser. No. 645,668 Int. Cl. B65d 1/34; A47f 7/00 US. Cl. 20673 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In banks it is customary to assemble a group of checks and to take the data from each check and enter it in appropriate records. Normally business machines are employed for making the entries and these often have a receptacle to hold the checks. In other cases the checks are placed to one side of the operator flat on a table or the like or upright in a suitable holder. However, considerable diificulty is experienced by operators attempting rapidly to perform the operations because of the tendency for the checks to adhere together, making it hard to separate them, and much depends upon the skill of the individual.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device for holding checks, or other paper slips, which incorporates means to assist a person in separating the checks by hand. In this connection it is an object to provide a device having means for causing one check to be separated from the others in the holder as the check is moved by a person in course of removal from the holder.

More particularly it is an object to provide a troughlike device having an angular surface at one end which is designed to deflect the individual check as it is moved up and toward the surface so that the check is turned away from the remaining checks in the holder thereby readily separating it therefrom.

Another object is to provide a construction which can be embodied in a free-standing holder or can be incorporated into a business machine or the like.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawing and the following description. Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a device embodying the invention with a group of checks therein;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the device as viewed from the open end, but on a larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a semiplan view on line 33 of FIG. 2, showing one check being removed from a group of checks in the holder;

FIG. 4 is a semiplan view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a modified holder;

FIG. 6 is a semiplan view on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 on a smaller scale showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of another modification;

FIG. 9 is an isometric exploded view of a further form of the invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing an adjustable end wall.

More particularly describing the invention, referring first to FIGS. 1-4, numeral 11 generally designates a device for holding checks or the like and this comprises a base in the form of a plate-like body 12 which may be made of plastic, metal, or any suitable material provided with a bottom sheet 13 of a softer material, such as rubber, plastic, or felt. Although the invention will be shown and described as a portable unit, the novel features may be incorporated into a table or machine which would take the place of the base shown.

The holder includes a trough-like body 15 of V cross section made up of front and rear walls 16 and 17, respectively. These walls are preferably disposed in planes which are substantially normal to each other, although this angle is not critical, and although they are shown of substantially equal height, the front wall need not be as high as the rear wall against which the checks or other items rest. In fact the front wall need not be continuous, but may be of some other construction which would serve to support the lower edges of the checks (or other items) 18. The walls are either integral with the base 12 or afl'ixed thereto in any suitable manner so that they are essentially rigid with the base.

It is a particular feature of the invention that I provide means at one end of the body for deflecting the end of a check as it is moved from its position of rest and this comprises a deflector wall 20 which extends between the front and rear walls 16 and 17 of the device. This deflector wall forms an obtuse angle with the rear wall, that is, the plan of the deflector wall intersects the plane of the rear wall at somewhat more than a right angle. In the particular form shown the wall is thin and its inner and outer surfaces are parallel, however, it is only necessary that the inner surface 20' extend obliquely to the inner surface 17 of the rear wall and form an obtuse angle therewith.

With the construction described, assuming a plurality of checks 18 have been placed to rest in the trough-like body, a person can readily separate the foremost check by pushing it longitudinally toward the deflector end wall and upwardly at the same time, as best shown in FIG. 2, thereby causing the end portion 18' of the check to curve outwardly away from the group of other checks in the holder, greatly facilitating the separation of the check from the others.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 I show another form of the invention, designated 11A, including a trough-like body formed by front and rear walls 16A and 17 respectively, on a base 12A. Here I provide a deflecting wall 25 at each end of the body, the inner surfaces 26 of which diverge with respect to each other and thus form obtuse angles with respect to the rear wall 17A of the device. With this construction a check can be removed from either end in the manner shown in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 7 I show still another .form of the invention wherein I provide a device 11B having a base 12B and a trough-like body comprising a front wall 16B, a rear wall 30, and an end wall 31. The inner surface 32 of the rear wall in this case is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body so as to form an obtuse angle with the end wall which is normal to such axis. This de- "vice can be used in the same manner as shown in FIG. 3.

By way of illustration of the fact that it is not necessary that the body have a continuous front wall or that the end wall completely enclose the end of the trough in which the checks are received, in FIG. 8 I show a modification, designated generally by numeral 35, which embodies such differences of construction. Here, the rear wall 36 of the device is mounted in any suitable manner on a base 37 to extend upwardly and rearwardly at a suitable angle which may be of the order of 45 or, if desired, somewhat more. Also mounted on the base and extending upwardly and divergently from the rear wall are a pair of check retainer fingers or wall sections 38. These are in a common plane which may be approximately 90 relative to the rear wall, although this angle is not critical, nor is the number of such fingers critical.

At one end of the body I provide a deflector 40 which is shown as a generally triangular strip which may be of metal or plastic having a base 41 secured to the rear wall 36 by any conventional means, a long inner side 42 disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the rear Wall, and an outer side 43 which is normal thereto. It will be obvious that this device functions and can be used in the same manner as the one illustrated in FIG. 3.

Some business machines and tables are provided with V-trou gh holders for checks and I contemplate that any of the devices that I have shown made without the base might be used by placing it in such an existent holder. Also, I contemplate that in such trough-like holders or recesses, such as the one designated 45 in FIG. 9, shown as a recess in a table or business machine 46, fragmentarily shown, I may also convert such existent devices to one of my invention by placing a wedge insert 47 at one end thereof. Checks may then be removed in the manner previously described.

There may be instances where it would be advantageous to adjust the angle between the rear wall and the deflector wall to better suit it to the type of paper of the slips being held as where the device is used to hold slips other than bank checks. Thus in FIG. I show a device '50 with a base 51, and front and rear walls 52 and 53, respectively, disposed to form a V-shaped body or trough. At one end of the rear wall I hingedly mount a deflector end wall 54 on a hinge 55 and provide a setscrew 56 to lock the hinged wall 54 in adjusted position.

Although I have illustrated and described :preferred forms of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for holding bank checks or the like to facilitate their separation, comprising means forming a receptacle having a rearwardly inclined upright rear wall against which the checks can be placed and a support means for the lower edge of the checks extending for- 4 wardly and upwardly of said rear wall at the bottom thereof, and a check-deflecting means at one end of said rear wall, said means providing a surface extending forwardly of said rear wall and forming an obtuse angle therewith.

2. The device set forth in claim 1 in which said checkdeflecting means comprises a wall meeting said rear wall.

3. The device set forth in claim 1 in which said support means comprises a front wall extending from said rear wall in a plane substantially normal to the plane thereof, and in which said check-deflecting means comprises an end wall between said front and rear walls.

4. The device set forth in claim 1 in which a checkdeflecting means is provided at each end of said rear wall.

5. A device for holding bank checks or the like to facilitate their separation, comprising a base, a trough-like body on said base including a rearwardly inclined rear wall and a forwardly inclined front wall, said walls being disposed in planes substantially normal to each other, and a check deflector end Wall at one end of said body extending forwardly from said rear wall, said end wall and said rear wall defining an obtuse angle.

6. The device set forth in claim 5 in which said end wall is normal to the plane of said front wall.

7. The device set forth in claim -5 in which said front and rear walls are parallel along any longitudinal plane, and said end wall is disposed at greater than a right angle with respect to the inner surface of said rear wall.

8. The device set forth in claim 5 in which said check deflector end wall is adjustably hingedly mounted on said rear wall whereby to enable a person to adjustably vary the obtuse angle formed by said rear and end walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,004,334 9/1911 Anderson 211- 1,335,239 3/1920 Huber 2ll50 3,003,626 10/ 1961 Richards et a1. 206-73.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, 111., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 2ll-50 

